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What is an All In“All in” is quite possibly the most frightening and exciting pair of words in the game of poker, whether you're playing the game or simply watching it. It's basically the equivalent of “to the death” in war. While a handful of pros advise their minions to never go all in, knowing the time and place to make your stand can prove very profitable – both at ring games and in tournaments. What is an all in? It's when a player wagers their entire stack. While this move is still dramatic at a ring game, it's hardly a death sentence since players can always buy more chips. In a tournament, on the other hand, an all in always creates a tense moment because it means at least one player is on the precipice of hitting the rail while the winner usually stands to gain a considerable amount. Because going all in has the potential to eliminate – or at least maim – you, it's a move that should be used very sparingly. As we mentioned before, some pros simply don't believe in going all in, but if you're playing short-stacked then this move is sometimes an inevitability. While we don't recommend that amateur players buy into a ring game with a short stack, some pros enjoy employing their short-stack skills. The idea in this scenario is to use your inferior ammunition to lure other players into a pot; when it works, this ploy affords you a quick and easy double-up. Going all in in a tournament with a short stack, on the other hand, tends to be more of a last ditch effort. If your stack isn't big enough to survive another round of blinds, then you've got until the button makes it back around to choose your move. Otherwise you'll be forced all in with what's left, and even if you win the reward will likely only pay for the next blind. If your chips are dwindling, then the sooner you can move all in the better, but try to choose at least a middling hand. Some short stacks think they can avoid the inevitable by stealing blinds or trying to limp into more flops, but these tactics rarely work when you don't have enough ammunition to intimidate your opponents. More often than not an opponent is going to make a bet that will force you to either commit to the all-in anyway or fold, taking a loss you can't afford. As in the wild, you represent an easy target, so try not to get picked off. Even the big stacks at both ring games and in tournaments will frequently throw their weight around and go all in for a number of reasons. From a big stack position, there are three primary reasons you might go all-in: to force another player all-in and potentially eliminate them, to intimidate a player into folding, or to get the biggest possible pot when holding the nuts. If you're the largest stack at the table, or at least the largest stack still left in the hand, then there's no risk of being eliminated by going all in.
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